Whistling a merry tune

BIG ARENA: Natarsha Ganley runs the line as a touch judge during a game at the IRB Hong Kong Sevens tournament. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Ex-Whangarei ref loving life as an international match official

AS AN 11-year-old playing on the wing in a Whangarei rugby team with her brothers, Natarsha Ganley never contemplated that her love of the game could end up as a career.

But now Ganley has the best seat in the house as her rugby career takes her around the world - as a rugby referee.

Currently based on Auckland's North Shore with the North Shore Referees Association, she has recently returned from blowing the whistle out in the middle at the Women's Sevens second-tier competition in Hong Kong, and while there she was also chosen to run the line as touch judge during some of the IRB International Sevens men's games at the Hong Kong tournament, including the All Blacks Sevens vs Samoa match.

Her big goal now is to continue on the Sevens circuit to gain the experience necessary to ref in the Sevens at the Olympics. She missed out on officiating at the Rio Olympics this year, but has her sights set firmly on the next Olympics at Tokyo in 2020.

Ganley said she never thought rugby could be a career that would take her around the world.

"It's quite exciting really. I never thought it would lead to a career, but despite playing on the wing in a rugby team with my brothers when I was 11 or 12 I like the individual aspect. Reffing is quite a personal challenge, but it can be fun and rewarding," she said.

Ganley said she was pleased the North Harbour Refs Association had faith in her to nominate her for the Sevens circuit and she wanted to repay that by being the best ref she could be. She said she doesn't have a particular reffing "style" and takes each game as it comes, developing her style to meet the challenges of the teams, playing conditions and circumstances.

"There's so much that can change from game to game and even during a game and you've got to be open to that. Also teams are different and at different levels of skills so it depends also on the level of competition, so being able to adapt is a big thing."

She started refereeing while still in Whangarei and took to it fulltime after moving to Auckland and working with the North Shore union, with her determined efforts over the last 10 months in particular getting her to the point of now being chosen for major tournaments like Hong Kong.

"North Harbour felt I had the potential to get up to that next step and ref on the international stage. In Hong Kong I was reffing with five girls from Asia so to put myself up against those other girls was great. And I'm happy with my performance," she said.

"Coming from New Zealand though, where rugby is such an integral part of life, probably gave me a bit of an advantage. You grow up with rugby here but that's so different from, say, a girl from China where it's not the national sport."

She said being involved in the IRB International Sevens men's games was an awesome experience, particularly getting to run the line in an All Blacks Sevens game.

Now Ganley wants to inspire other young girls to take up reffing and hopes that showing them it can be a career will get more taking up the whistle.

"The ladies' game is really starting to grow and it's now an Olympic sport, which is the pinnacle, so there are opportunities out there for girls to get involved and make a career."

And her advice to those wanting to try their hand at reffing?

"I'd say just start by watching a ref during a game. Then go up to one after a game and ask them what they would recommend about trying to get into reffing. Also contact your local rugby union and ask them about reffing opportunities."

And the opportunities are great.

"In Hong Kong there were 40,000 people in the stadium watching the games and it was such an overwhelming feeling. I was there thinking 'this is what I want to do, it's wonderful. I have such an awesome job with the best seat in the house'."